Linear Tube Audio at Axpona

@teajay , I will be very interested in your review since you’ve spent time with the Micro ZOTL. The MZ2 is the best preamp I’ve owned and I have no doubt the new preamp will be better but by how much? Oh who am I kidding. I know I’m buying it.

OK, After a visit to LTA today I left with a preproduction MicroZOTL Preamp. I only have a few days before I have to return it but After only a few minutes I can say it clearly superior to my MZ2. This is killing me. Now I’m going have to buy one.

Lance

@franklin 

I have a pair of Decware ERRx radial speakers and I was surprised at how loud the one watt of the MZ2 would go. If you haven’t tried it then power the HR-1s with the MZ2 just to hear what it can do. The quality of the sound is amazing.

I have extensive experience with both Decware and LTA amps. I have owned the Tori 3 and the flagship ZMA. Once I plugged in the ZOTL40 I had to sell the ZMA. The big difference was transformer haze. There was huge veil lifted with the LTA gear.

I have tried 3 different LTA amps with the ERRx speakers and all 3 bested the sound of the Decware amps. I’m not saying Decware amps are bad at all but I much prefer the ZOTL sound.

@baranyi 

MicroZOTL Preamp vs MZ2

The same house sound just more of it.

The new preamp has a wider, more clearly defined sound stage and more sparkle at the top. The bass is just a bit more real sounding. There is smoothness, a little smoother without losing dynamics. I can’t explain this but could the MZ2 have been a little grainy sounding?

The piano is sounding more real than ever. There is more clarity in the sense of having more space in between notes or just less noise? Not that I could ever detect any audible noise before with the MZ2 but the background is darker. I guess more real sounding, more in the venue feel.

So the flavor is the same just more of it and the best description I could use is refined, more refined. I think Mark has optimized this circuit design as far as it will go and the more I listen the more I like it. I have to return this one but I will be buying one.

Lance

@baranyi 

Mark said about 4 weeks for production models to go out.

Bob, I have not heard those speakers so I can’t comment on sound but at 93db even the 1 watt MZ2 would work in a small room. Because my 93db ERRx will go pretty loud with the MZ2 direct. Most likely the ZOTL10 would be best. Mark does have a 30 day trial policy.

@doni, I’m guessing there’s no one on this forum with that combination of amp and speakers. Your Audio Note being efficient will play fairly loud is my guess, not rocking the house loud though. If you have a smallish room it just might work well. The MZ2’s 1 watt of class A makes my 93 db radials sing into the 80 db levels before clipping. You will not have much headroom though.

@doni, LTA has a generous trial offer. So you can try it out for 30 days and shipping is minimal because the unit weighs next to nothing.